Regatta Oars
Local rowing for well over a hundred years has been a main event at the Port of Dartmouth Regatta. In 1987 the Regatta Committee were informed that the BRNC whalers, the boats used by the Regatta were being disposed of and would no longer be available. Rather than seeing the demise of this most popular event the Regatta Committee decided to purchase their own whalers. An order for seven whalers at a cost of £2,000 each was placed with the Hockaday Brothers of Newton Ferrers.
There was an immediate response from the inhabitants of Dartmouth and the surrounding district all wishing to support the financial commitment, including Dartmouth Town Council, The Royal Castle Hotel, The Friends of Bayards, and The Britannia Royal Naval College. An order was then placed by the Regatta Committee and The whalers were purchased and fitted out at Sandquay Dockyard by Jack Bell, Boat Skilled members of the Regatta Committee and voluntarily by local
craftsmen.
Sponsor a regatta oar
The town steps in
In 1991 the BRNC withdrew the Cadet Blue Boats. An order was then placed by the Regatta Committee with a boat building firm in Henley on Thames for seven blue boats.
Once again sponsors immediately came forward and the Regatta Committee thanked The Royal Castle Hotel, The Harbour Bookshop, KIngswear Parish with permission of the Regatta Council, Kevin and Lizzy Pyne, Percy Williams Family, Chris Pillar and the Ken Armstrong Family for their financial support.
regatta's commitment
The Port of Dartmouth Royal Regatta Committee of the day pledged in 1989 to maintain these 14 boats for annual use by the rowers of Dartmouth. This has been done to this day.
how you can help
Thanks to the PAS team from Exeter, we have been able to commentate on every race, waterborne tug of war and bungee event since the introduction of the whalers. Regatta Committee and the full support from Paul Barclay of Lower Street, to help toward the refurbishment of these 14 boats we are giving you the opportunity to have your name, family name or company name on an oar for a mere £20. You will get mentioned and thanked many times during the 2026 Regatta Commentaries. We are optimistic that the Dartmouth Regatta Lovers will support us but for obvious reasons we can only do this for the first 90 to come forward.
In advance many thanks for your support for helping to keep local rowing a great event for many years to come.